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Friday, August 7, 2015

You know your fate is sealed when the stars align, the
heavens open, and your friend plans to get Maui’eed during your spring break.
When this happens you have no choice and you HAVE TO GO TO MAUI!!! This year, everything
pointed that Maui for spring break was my destiny and who am I to go against DESTINY?

So (disclaimer time) my friend “claims” she planned her
wedding because it fell on her and her (now) husband’s anniversary, but the
truth is she just really wanted me there and I would not have been able to go
during school. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) Once the date was set for
their magical Maui marriage it was time to start planning my next budget saving
vacation.

Now (time for another disclaimer) I did not do as well on
deals for this trip as I would have liked. Hawaii is freaking expensive!!!! and
I tried to be as cheap as possible but there are just some things not available
for cheap in the Aloha State. With that being said, my ultimate goal was to
spend no more than $1000 for 5 days in Magical Maui and I came as close as cheaply
possible.

I found the best possible deal I could at the time I
purchased my flights and got roundtrip airfare for $525. This isn’t too bad but
it is not up to my usual deal guru standards. However I did make up for it with
condo costs. If anyone has traveled to Hawaii they know how ridiculously
expensive it is to stay there. Hotel costs are CRAY CRAY and trying to find
condos or people who rent apartments or homes isn’t much easier, especially if
you want to stay in a prime location (say on the beach?) which of course you do
duh you’re going to HAWAII. So this is where being a cool person who gets along
well with others comes in handy. The best friend of the bride was looking for
roomies to get a place to stay at in Maui so we split the costs between the 2
of us and each of our guests. She just so happened to know someone who knew
someone who owned a condo RIGHT ON THE BEACH and was willing to rent to us for
practically nothing (by Hawaii standards). AND to make it even better it was
just a few miles from where our friend was getting Maui’eed! Like I said, when
the universe wants you to go to Maui you HAVE TO GO TO MAUI!! Anyways, my
overall cost for 5 nights in Maui was $263. If that’s not Pure Maui Magic then
I don’t know what is!!!

So now that airfare and lodging were taken care of I of
course had to plan adventures. I CANNOT go on a vacation and not buy a single
deal, it goes against my soul (yes I do have a soul thank you very much)! Unfortunately
since Maui is not very big there were not many deals available. However, I was
able to get a sweet zip-lining deal on Living Social for $89 (regularly $129).
AND there was an online special for a turtle snorkel adventure that included
snorkeling gear, food, and adult beverages for $50 (regularly $60). (You should
know by now that when something includes food and alcohol I am going to be
there!!!) Fortunately, there were no sharks anywhere near me (my bladder and
pride were very thankful for this) so I was able to enjoy the deep crystal blue
sea as a happy human rather than shark bait! #WINNING

SOOOOOOOO, all that added up brought the total to $929 which
YAY was in my budget!! But BOO I still had to get a rental car because there is
no way to get around Maui without one. I searched the heavens, scoured the
depths of the ocean, and seeked the snitch in a game of Quidditch (how many
people get this reference?) for the best rental car deal possible and was
unable to find anything remotely reasonable (sad face). So I had to push aside
my pride and pay (gulp) full price for a rental car (super sad face) which
ended up being $243 (serious sad face). In the end I spent $1170 on a week
vacay in Maui; which isn’t too bad considering full price costs can range from
$1500-$2500 (or more). Like I said, not up to par with my usual cheap status
ways but still worth bragging about J
(thank you thank you applause later please). Most importantly, it was worth it
to see my friend Maui’eed right on the beach to the love of her life (while on
Spring Break).

So all in all, I got to fly through the trees like Tarzan,
beach bum it every day in Maui’s marvelousness, tumble in the waters with some
turtles, and be a wedding witness to a truly beautiful couple. Not a bad way to
spend $1170 if you ask me (you are reading this blog so you asked me, end of
story).

MAHOLA for joining me on another Adventure4Less!!! Enjoy the
pics and remember to have Fun4Less!!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Christmas, Hanukah, Celebrations OH MY!!The holidays are behind us but that doesn’t
mean we can’t learn how to be a great gift giver now! There are still plenty of
opportunities coming up that require spending money for someone else’s enjoyment.
Seriously, I truly believe someday there will be an excuse to celebrate
something or spend money on someone every week if not every day. So for those Millennials out there you may want to learn how to get more bang for your buck
now!!Let me show you how to put that
eye for gift giving into action for celebrations to come. It seems daunting but
getting thoughtful creative gifts is possible. You just have to take a little
extra time (usually several thousand hours) into finding that perfect star
worthy present. Here are some tips to help you come up with some EYEdeas.

First, I am a firm believe that experience is the best gift
possible. Experiences are much more memorable than material items (This is proven
science folks!!!) Of course this will depend on how well you know the person
and what your relationship with them is like. I don’t suggest buying your boss
that exclusive VIP club experience if you hardly know them (unless you really
need that raise then I say go for it!!). But if you are trying to get a gift
for someone you truly care about then try to think about an experience they
would like to take part in. Seriously, if you’re significant other has been
stressing a lot lately then get them that massage, facial or spa day package.
Groupon, Living Social, and Travelzoo have these deals ALL THE TIME!! And it’s
perfect for those of us who love to be poked, prodded, and pummeled by
strangers’ foreign fingers. If your friend has expressed interest in some
adventure, dining experience, event, excursion or anything that involves living
life, then get it!!! Check to see if these magical deal sites have those
experiences because most of the time they do!! Making memories is much more
valuable than a sweater that may eventually be too small or fade with use.

Next EYEdea worth thinking about: If you aren’t that close
with the person anymore or you just can’t swing the cash, then the next best
present purchase (in my humble opinion) is memories of experiences. This can
include any form of expressing or showing how a memory was made or how an
experience was lived. If you’re artistic then maybe drawing pictures or writing
poems are the way to go. I’m a photo slut so I love to show my experiences with
pictures. Framing fun times with friends, creating photo albums, or
scrapbooking are great ways to revisit the good times and show someone you do
care about them. You can put photos on anything these days: books, cards,
blankets, coffee mugs, chinaware, clothes, and who knows what else. With
technology these days anything is possible. Even if all you can get is a gift
card, maybe making a homemade birthday/holiday card with a picture can make it
all the more meaningful. And doing all this does not have to be expensive. Check
groupon, they have deals ALL THE TIME!!!! (sensing a theme yet?)

What if you don’t have photos and aren’t creative? Well then
I suggest trying to personalize the gift somehow. People love to see their
names on things. Especially if they have a unique name that can’t be found on
tourist shop key chains. I once got a cousin a colorful make-up bag with her
name engraved on it and she loved it (that’s what she said and I choose to
believe it!). The best thing is: you can personalize gifts however you want to.
It doesn’t have to just be with their name. You can engrave inside jokes, or
important dates, or meaningful quotes. The point is to make things personal.
Doing even just that shows you didn’t forget about them and run by Walmart on
the way to their birthday party. And these things really aren’t that expensive.
Groupon, Living Social, Travelzoo OH MY!!! If you personalize gifts frequently
then joining a site like shutterfly becomes beneficial in the long run. I
receive discounts through their site and free gifts all the time (especially
around the holidays). It pays to spend but it’s always better to spend less!!

So this is usually the part where I breakdown how much I’ve
spent on stuff versus what it normally costs, but I’m not going to put myself
on blast and let everyone know what I spent on their gifts. Sorry guys!! But I
will provide a list of gift EYEdeas I have purchased before.

Photo albums galore! These are
great for any reason. Christmas, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, you
get the EYEdea. They take time to create, but are worth seeing the person’s
face light up with joy at the memories.

Photo calendars. Another great gift
for any reason. Photo gifts are especially good for people with kids. Creating
a calendar or album with pictures of their kids shows you sense what is truly
important to them. And with social media at our fingertips every second of
every day you can just facebook stalk the person to get whatever pics they post
online. Seriously though, be careful what you put online!!

Photo blankets, mugs, holiday/bday
cards. Like I said I’m a photo slut. Having photographic proof of my life helps
me remember the good times. Although, there are probably plenty of times where
having photographic evidence wasn’t a good thing (JK no shame here)

Subject specific t-shirts as
graduation gifts.

LIFE EXPERIENCE!!! If someone has
mentioned something they want to do, I try to make it happen if it’s feasible
on my limited graduate student budget.

So all of this is going to depend largely on how well you
know the person. First consider what your relationship is with that person. How
close are you? How often do you talk or see each other? What kinds of things do
you definitely know about them? A wine enthusiast may love engraved wine
glasses but a recovering alcoholic will not appreciate that so much. An 18-year
old girl may love an engraved make-up bag but your 50 year old father probably
won’t. For me, if I’m really stuck I try to make a list of everything I do know
about the person, even if all I know is their age, gender, and location. Simply
knowing that can help you narrow down or have a starting point for gift EYEdeas.

Of course you may not be able to provide those perfect
tear-inducing presents all the time. And it does get stressful when you think
“crap now what am I supposed to get next time” when you’ve already gotten the
most amazing heartfelt gift of eternity. I’ve often thought I’ll never be able
to top myself next time. But if you are getting gifts for the people you care
about and they care about you then they will understand you can’t always be
perfectly amazing. But if every once in a while you are able to show the
thought and effort you put into a gift then they will truly cherish you in
their lives.

Now for all my family and friends out there who have said
they love the gift I got them but really don’t like it: Please keep that to
yourself. I’m not trying to lose credibility here. Love you all!!!!!!!!!! :-D

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Guys, I am so sorry it’s been such a long time since I’ve
posted a blog. This whole grad school thing has literally taken over my life
(why did no one warn me?!). I don’t know how often I will be able to keep up
with this wonderful creation of writing but I shall aim for every couple months
(this is not a binding contract!). Now that that disclosure is out of the way,
let’s get to the good stuff.

Five months ago I embarked on a life-changing experience. I
moved mountains and swam oceans to uproot my life to the vast, mystical land
that is Southern California (from the far-off land that is Northern
California). Even though I have ventured to the tanning capitol of the world
many times before there are still countless sunny, sand-filled experiences I
have yet to revel in. Because I don’t want to be a lonely duckling embarking on
these adventures, I have forced my family and friends to come visit me. When
they visit me I get to impress them with my newfound SoCal street smarts and it
gives me an excuse to show off my deal guru ways (when my face isn’t glued to
textbooks and word documents).

One of my very good friends came to visit me for Halloween, my
mom visited me the following weekend, and my best sister/friend visited me
right after finals. With them visiting me, we got to experience hydrobikes, the
Queen Mary, a fashion show, the San Diego Safari Park, bottomless mimosa brunches,
an Irish pub, whale watching, and a food tour. Sounds like a bank breaker
amount of fun right?! WRONG!!! If you don’t believe me then see my handy dandy
chart below to see what I paid vs. what Hollywood stars pay!

What
I Paid

Hollywood
Stars Pay

Hydrobikes

$10

$20

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

$12

$24

Brunch (for 2) w/ bottomless mimosas @ The Green House

$22

$44

F.A.C.E. fashion show

$18

$34

San Diego Safari Park

$21

$46

Shenanigans food & drinks

$13

$30

Queen Mary’s historical tour

$16

$33

Marina Del Rey whale Watching

$29

$60

Brunch (for 2) w/ bottomless mimosas @ Alegria Cocina

$25

$50

Old Towne Orange Walking Food Tour

$34.50

$69

TOTAL

$200.50

$410

That was back-to-back weekends and a much needed grad school
free weekend of non-stop SoCalscapades (bad or good name merge?) for less than
half off!! Living in SoCal may be
expensive but having fun doesn’t have to be!!!

Riding hydrobikes was pretty interesting. It required a lot
more leg work than I had anticipated and I left with some jelly-filled calves
the rest of the day. But that makes it even better. Having fun and working out
= SCORE!!!! And for half off the normal price? Even better!!!

Later that day my friend and I went to the Queen Mary’s Dark
Harbor for some spooktacular scarefest Halloween fun. And even though it literally
rained on our parade, we had a blast. Anytime someone creepy comes crawling at
me I can’t help but laugh/scream at the same time! Plus we totally got to like
rock out in our totally awesome 80s wear!! Jealous much?!

The next day we got to enjoy a delicious bottomless mimosa filled
brunch (BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS)!!!!

Plus they had pictures on the wall of the restaurant like this:

Who wouldn’t love this place?!

Then we went to a “fashion” show in downtown LA which was
more of a “please take your shirt off super-hot buff guy, that outfit looks
ridiculous” kind of show. (I’m certainly not complaining) Not a bad way to
spend a Saturday night if I do say so myself. It was definitely a weekend full
of sunny SoCal (except pouring rain) fun. Thanks for visiting me Okerra!!!!!

After all that crazy and wild life in my 20s kind of fun I
got to spend the next weekend with my mom. She came to visit me for 4 whole
days and we got to have a much more relaxing while still adventurous fun in the
sun kind of weekend. Tigers, cheetahs, dolphins oh my!! From the San Diego
Safari Park to whale watching we saw all kinds of scarily captured and ocean
roaming creatures.

Going to the San Diego Safari Park was definitely a fun way
to spend the day if it weren’t for the unnecessary 90+ degree weather in
November!!! For crying out loud SoCal have some seasonal decency!!! Even the tigers
weren’t a fan of the ridiculously hot sun!!

Seriously though SoCal? Pouring rain one weekend and 90+
degrees the next weekend? I do not approve!!!!

As for the whale watching, even though we only got to see a
couple of dolphins and one whale, it was still a relaxing, hypnotic ride out to
the deep blue sea. Truth be told though, we didn’t get to see the whale in full
form; all we got see was the water coming out of her blowhole and I’m pretty
sure that was her way of giving us the finger. But it was still fun to see
everyone running over each other from one end of the boat to the other for that
potential glimpse of Shamu.

While we didn’t enjoy any shirtless fashion shows, it was
still just as enjoyable. Thanks for coming to visit mom, I love you!!!!

Then right after finals my best sister-friend visited me for
some much needed escapism. We got our grub on at the Old Town Orange Walking
Food Tour and an interesting brunch with bottomless mimosas at Alegria Cocina.
Food and drinks: What more does a girl need in life after 4 months of slaving
away through grad school hysteria?

So I know $200 seems like kind of a lot of money but when it's spread out over 3 different staycations with 3 different people, it's really not that much. Especially not when you consider doing all of those things would have cost me over $400 if I wasn't such a brilliantly cut-rate savant living that cheap grad student life!!Stick with me folks, I'll take you places ;-)